In recent, application of Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.16 technology to public safety networks such as disaster network and police network is under discussion. The disaster network or the police network is of a distributed wireless ad-hoc network type to handle dangerous situations which may happen anywhere and at anytime.
FIG. 1 depicts distributed wireless ad-hoc network configuration.
The distributed wireless ad-hoc network of FIG. 1 includes a plurality of Mesh Routers (MeRs) 100, 102, 104, and 106, and a plurality of Mobile Routers (MRs) 110, 112, and 114. The MeRs 100, 102, 104, and 106, which are stationary, build a mesh backbone network by forming a wireless backbone link to other MeRs or MRs through a wireless backbone interface. The MeRs 100 through 106 function as a base station for access of a mobile station. The MRs 110, 112, and 114 are installed and transferred to service a plurality of mobile stations grouped to execute tasks. The MRs 110 through 114 maintain connection to the wireless backbone network by building a wireless backbone link to the MeR through the wireless backbone interface, and function as a base station for the access of the mobile station. Herein, the MeRs 100 through 106 support a sector antenna base station, and the MRs 110 through 114 support an omni-antenna base station.
To ensure free movement of the mobile station over the distributed wireless ad-hoc network, it is necessary for the base station of the MeR or the MR to automatically generate a neighbor base station list.
Typically, a cellular system manages the neighbor base station list in a centralized manner. In the cellular system, a central controller collects information of every base station in the coverage and provides optimum neighbor base station information per base station. This centralized manner is fit for a system environment that includes the robust wire-base backbone network and guarantees stability of the central controller.
Disadvantageously, the neighbor base station list management in the centralized manner is not suitable to the distributed wireless ad-hoc network that makes up the wireless backbone network.